Not so Oblivious
by ChibiRaccoon
Summary: A Short Ayumi-centered fic. Done just for fun but I'm pleased with it. One-shot. Inspired by Becky Tailweaver's work really. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


Title: Not so Oblivious

Pairing(s): Shinichi/Ran

Genre: General/Angst/(slight)romance

Status: One-Shot

Author: ChibiRaccoon

Inspiration: Was washing dishes...couldn't stop thinking about Becky Tailweaver's Coming Home fanfiction. Then I thought about how Ayumi was observing him in the first chapter and this came to mind.

Summary: Ayumi-chan is no longer a clueless child. Her mind notices things. Things about Edogawa Conan.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or any of Detective Conan belong to me.

This is set about 6 or 7 years after Shinichi turned into Conan.

_~NOT SO OBLIVIOUS~_

She heard the droning of their teacher in the background, chalk hitting the board harshly. She heard the few sighs from the bored students and the murmurs from others as she gazed at the spot on her desk. Heard it all yet didn't bother trying to attend to it.

Her fingers traced the initialed graffiti on the desk slowly, mind desperate for something to do. Scattered around the room were her best friends, the only one paying attention being Tsubaraya Mitsuhiko. Kojima Genta appeared to be staring at his textbook, but she knew all too well that there was a manga book hidden somewhere in there. She allowed herself to giggle for a minute. Genta was going to get caught sooner or later, he always did.

Two rows back were her other two friends and the real backbone of the Shounen Tantei. Haibara Ai, a cynical and quiet girl with all-too knowing eyes and Edogawa Conan, an incredibly intelligent and resourceful boy who she couldn't seem to keep her mind off of.

Seeing the bored expression he was sporting, chin in hand, and strikingly blue eyes dull as they stared out the window had sent her into a rush of memory flashes from the past. A past that she held to herself dearly and lovingly. A past that had never held no true value until _he_ had arrived into her life.

She had always been an easy-going cheerful child. Adventurous and a true delight, Yoshida Ayumi had been a girl of no worries until one day when her whole world changed from the innocent pastel painted before her naive eyes.

When _he_ came.

A boy like no other, he was certainly the most amazing person she had ever met. She grinned slightly, remembering how upfront she had been when requesting his help in a case a few days after he had transferred in. It had been the first case that her group had ever encountered, even before they had become the Shounen Tantei. From the start, he had been skeptical of the existence of ghosts with a haunted mansion, but he went along regardless. She was glad that she had followed him that time into the basement. That was when she found out who he was. So unlike someone his age, he deduced the entire situation within the mansion's wall's, and he confronted the tormented mother and son, yelling his name for all to hear.

"Edogawa Conan! Tantei-san!"

A detective. That's what he was. And a great one at that. Looking back, she realized perhaps the reason for her wanting to become a detective never started because of the amazing skill and depth that deducing a case required, but because it may have gotten her closer to the engmatic boy that she and her two friends had become accustomed to following. He really was on a whole other level than everyone else. She remembered sometimes wondering if he ever got lonely.

Though this had been remedied somewhat when the next member of the Shounen Tantei appeared. Haibara Ai was just as if not more so strange than Edogawa Conan, a silent foreigner with sharp tongue and wit. She was the only person that Conan spoke serious things to. Ayumi wondered if he ever noticed that. Wondered if he ever noticed that she tried not to disturb him when she saw the two of them whispering in their precise cold tones. Because while she was young then, she wasn't stupid. It struck her odd yes, but she had known that there was a good reason for why the two of them had a friendship unlike the one the three others did. Though she rarely commented on it, only choosing to speak up when she felt that Ai-chan was getting a little too close to Conan for comfort.

Which left her in bit of a dilemma. Her feelings for him had always been strong. Time only strengthening them, even now. Something about him drew her to him like a moth to flame. Her eyes had always been for Conan. She never side-glanced at anyone else, never bothered. So much that she had never really noticed her friend, Kojima Genta's, crush on her until recently.

Though her feelings were strong, they really didn't make any difference. He had never returned her affections. Nor did she even have the remotest hope that he ever would.

She knew the truth now. Knew why she had never told him _outright_ how she felt. Knew that even her seven-year old mind had processed something she hadn't wanted to accept. Upon recognizing it though, it made all her worries of other girls and such completely irrelevant and stupid. Unneeded.

She loved him.

But he already loved someone else.

She supposed however, that it should have been obvious from the start. He had always been different, untouchable. Many were forever in awe of the intelligent boy, or rather, the intelligent young man that graced their prescence daily. He was smart, kind, a bit cynical, but brave.

And that was precisely what made him so indomnitable.

Although, it wasn't just that, she admitted with a sigh. The real problem was who he loved. He loved someone that even she was forced to admit not just anyone could compare to, if at all. He was smitten with the kindest person she had ever met. Strong, beautiful, nice, stubborn, and just perfect.

No wonder he loved her.

Even if she was already in love.

She noted, with a grim smile, that this was one love triangle, or square, that most people would rather do without. She loved him, but he loved a woman who was in love with her missing childhood friend and was still waiting for his return even after so many years.

Life sucked sometimes.

Especially when you're forced to quit before you even begin. And that's how it was for all those who found interest in Edogawa Conan. You can look, you can befriend, but you will never be loved. Not by him.

She understood why he kept quiet. Mouri Ran was ten years his senior. There was not a single chance for him. Yet, he seemed just content to always be there for her as the adoptive younger brother she saw him as. No matter how much it hurt him, no matter how much he _wished_, he wouldn't allow himself to speak.

In silence he would remain near, hoping beyond hope that the High School Detective, Kudo Shinichi, returned soon, so that he could finally see a truly genuine smile on the older girl's pretty face.

Another sigh.

It would never be Ayumi's name that he'd utter under his breath when he thought no one was paying attention. Never.

It would never be her face that he would see when he allowed his thoughts to travel away from reality. Never.

It would never be her heart that he was so intent on capturing, in keeping close. Never.

It would never be her.

Never.

_'How depressing....'_

"YOSHIDA-SAN!!"

Jolting, Yoshida Ayumi jumped out of her seat, eyes wide as they focused on the figure by her desk. "Ah, uh y-yes, sensei?"

The teacher shook her head. "Now that you've returned to the land of the living, Yoshida-san, you'll realize that half the class has already gotten started on lunch while you sit here woolgathering."

Ayumi blushed, beginning to gather her things together. "I'm so sorry Takahashi-sensei!" The teacher nodded, satisfied, before leaving.

Once gone, Ayumi settled back into her chair, sliding until she slouched, her face scrunched into an uncharacteristic frown. It wasn't like her to be feeling such sad thoughts. She should be happy to even be considered the friend of someone like Conan. People like that were hard to find. Even if she couldn't be what she _wanted_ to be to him, she could still-

"Ayumi-chan?"

She looked up to see a shadow blocking the doorway, Noticing the stance and hair, she recognized him immediatly.

"Conan-kun?"

"What's the matter? Everyone's waiting!"

"Re-really? Sorry."

She was shoving her things into her bag when she felt him near her. An involuntary chill ran down her spine. He looked at her, all concern.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded sadly.

"Ayumi-chan, you can't fool a detective like me." He told her, her favorite one corner smirk appearing. She let out a laugh.

"I'm fine Conan-kun. Just thinking. Honest."

"If you're sure." he shrugged. She smiled.

She walked past him, stopping for a moment at his side, before glancing at him and running out the door, leaving him frozen in place, eyes wide.

_'What was that about?'_ he wondered, turning his head to gaze at the door. What she had said...it was....

Reluctantly, he found himself grinning. Maybe he and Haibara were hanging around the kids too much. They were starting to become smarter than most kids their age. More observant.

Still, hearing her words were surprisingly reassuring. Nice even.

He chuckled. He should've known. Ayumi-chan had always been the most likely of the three to become a great detective, even with her enthusiasm.

Shrugging, he left the room, intent to get at least some lunch into his empty stomach before the day's end. He _did_ have another long day ahead of him, pretending, even now, to be ten years younger was still such a task.

Though her words would forever ring in his head.

_'Even if you never stop loving Ran-neechan, I'll always be here. To hear you out as a friend!'_

~OWARI~

_It's not often that I do something with characters like Ayumi. Never been much a fan of her's since I'm such a Mitsuhiko fan. (laughs) But I was reading Becky Tailweaver's fanfiction, 'Relative Truth' and 'Coming Home' for the THOUSANDTH time in my life and I just couldn't resist writing something with Ayumi for some reason. (Laughs again.)_

I need to get back on track with writing.. I'm doing horribly.

_And for all the Becky Tailweaver fans out there: Let us pray she recaptures her muse for two of her great works and finds the time to finish them one day. ^_^ Even waiting years, I still anticipate their updates as much as when I first read them. _


End file.
